At the end, it was always you
by Potterhead896
Summary: Steve went back in time to return the infinity stones, his final mission turned out to be one completely different. Basically, all what happened to make him realise who the love of his life really was. And how to get her back. Contains Peggy/Steve but it's a Romanogers story, because Steve and Natasha deserved their happy ending. FINALLY UPDATED!
1. Prologue

Hey guys, Endgame left me completely heartbroken so this is my attemp to fix it and bring peace to my soul. I try to be as much canon compliant as i can so the story is believable, including the writing of the characters.

I know this idea is being used a lot but this story is going to be a little long, the latest chapters will be more Romanogers centric.

I hope you enjoy it, leave your comments!!

**Prologue**

Wearing the quantum suit, holding Mjolnir in one hand and the infinity stones in the other, Steve stepped on the platform, as Bruce made the final adjustments to send him on his second time travel mission. His final mission. Only that nobody else knew that.

For so long he felt he couldn't move on because the world still needed Captain America to be there, fighting for them. Always, always fighting. But the war was over now, and he wanted to go _home. _The one he was never meant to leave in the first place. This was his chance, but there was a job to do first. Then, he would finwlly rest.

"Ready Cap?" Bruce asked. "Going quantum in 5..."

Steve felt his heart ache for he knew he wouldn't come back for a long time.

4

He gave a last look at his friends. Bucky who had been through so much with him, Sam who he had been lucky to find.

3

He tried tu pull aside the fear of the unknown that was to come.

2

His grip tightened on the case with the stones, the things that had caused the demise of his friends. Tony's death, _her_ death.

1

He took a deep breath, and the scene in front of him disappeared.


	2. Chapter 1

He went to Morag 2014 first, as Nebula and Rhodey told him would be the easiest one. His camouflage tech allowed him to put the orb back and watch as Peter Quill entered to the temple to steal it just a few moments later, only to be embushed by Ronan's thugs. Just how it was supposed to be.

His next stop was Asgard 2013. He landed in one of the corridors of Odin's Palace, surrounded by golden columns and elaborated artwork of multiple scenes of the story of Asgard. Following Thor's description, Steve was able to find Jane's chamber, where she was supposed to be asleep. Carefully, he opened the door and sneaked in.

He saw Jane sleeping peacefully, and felt guilty about having to put the Aether back inside her body, but she could handle it. She was strong, Thor said. So Steve used the device Rocket gave him and the reality stone was inyected in a liquid form into Dr. Fosters body.

He exited the room before she woke up from the pain that come back as sudden as it had left. When Steve turned around he found himself not alone.

"Well it is apparently a good day for visitors."

Queen Frigga, Thor's mother, was looking at Steve with a soft smile.

"A friend of Thor, I pressume?" She asked.

"Yes ma'am" he answered, "I am Steve Rogers."

"Well Steve, I assume your presence here means that my son's mission has been succesful." She said, "I am glad, now I just hope he can find his path again."

"He has been through a lot." He answered.

Steve felt sorry for Thor, in the long time he was gone he had lost much more than any of them, his brother, his home, half of his people, his confidence. And on top of it, Thanos had made him feel a failure, powerless, _unworthy. _He was his teammate, a friend, and Steve felt guilty for loosing contact, for not being there.

_"You're here to do your laundry?"_ _"And to see a friend"_

Stop. Steve pushed the memories aside, remembering her.. how he had also failed her, it was too painful to deal with just now. He knew Thor hadn't been the only one he should have been more in contact with.

Frigga looked at him and softly touched his arm.

"I bet you all have" she said, "You look so terribly tired, my dear."

Steve's mother had died when he was still young, so he had to learn to carry himself and had been doing it for a long time. But there was something about Frigga and her motherly touch that made him want to hug her and let all the pain out.

"Yes" He answered, "I'm just... i'm just tired of the grief."

He thought about Thor and all what he'd lost, about Clint who had to watch his_ kids _turn to ashes in front of him, Tony... whose daughter would have to grow up without him. And Nat. _God, Nat. _His partner, his friend, his _family..._ who had kept them together all these years, who was their backbone, one of the bravest people he had ever met. And she didn't get to live to see that they won.

"You lost someone." Frigga guessed. "Someone whose absence has hit deeply, am I right?"

He raised his eyes and faced the woman, clearly impressed by her wisdom. He nodded.

"She was a heroine, and she didn't even believed it." He started, "And not being able to make her realise it will always be one of my life's biggest regrets."

Frigga was looking at him expectantly, encouraging him to continue.

"Once again I took her for granted and before I knew, she was gone." His sight was blurry from the tears he was trying so hard not to show. "I just wish we woul've had more time. Let her know how much I cared_."_

_"_The dead of those who we love always seem untimely for us." She said, "But the ones who die like heroes will always be remembered by the people they saved."

"I hope so." He answered, "She sacrificed her life to get the soul stone. She saved billions of people."

Frigga's expression shifted, she eyed the case Steve was carrying.

"Is that so?" She was suddenly lost on her thoughts, like trying to decide whether or not she should tell him something. Finally, she took his hand and looked at him eye to eye.

"Listen, my dear." She started, "I do not know your story, and I may not know all the battles that you, my son and your team have had to fight all this time.., but I have lived over 2000 years, and those things you have over there..." She gestured to the infinity stones. "They have power beyond all the magic I've encountered in my life."

Steve stayed silent, curious to know where the Queen was heading with this.

"Our universe is dictated by extremely delicate forces that seem indifferent to us and that we may never come to understand, but let me tell you something..." She came even closer. "The stones are wise entities, they possess the ability to impart justice. Maybe someone who has learned the true meaning of sacrifice, who is selflessly brave, who is _worthy_... just maybe, that someone can be rewarded."

Steve was really interested, but confused by her words at the same time._"It can't be undone" _"_She's not coming back." _He had to push the thoughts aside again.

Maybe it meant that his prize would be what was waiting for him at the end of his mission, that he would be allowed to live peacefully the life he was taken away from. Away from the pain.

"It is not my intention to give you hope in vain, my boy" She said, "Because the stone's are way beyond my comprehenssion. But I have a good eye with people, and I can see you deserve a little happiness."

Steve smiled at her. Frigga was a good woman and a caring mother, he was glad he haf run into her.

"Thanks ma'am"

"Now go, Steve Rogers" She smiled, "You still have a mission to complete."

He smiled at the queen of Asgard one last time and set the time and place for the next jump.

New York 2012.

I hope it's going well so far, I am already working on the next couple chapters.


	3. Chapter 2

He landed in the middle of the street, surrounded by debris and destruction everywhere. The battle of New York.

The start of the Avengers, the start of an era.

There were two stones to return: mind and time. This last one would be easier because he wouln't have to avoid being seen, so he headed to the Sactum Sanctorum a couple blocks away.

When he arrived, from the other side of the street he could see someone on the rooftop, fighting the Chitauri with some kind of green and orange energy. Climbing the building next to the Sactum, he jumped to meet with the guardian of the time stone.

She didn't even flinch seeing him land on her rooftop, like if she was expecting him.

"Hello Captain Rogers" Ancient one said, "I see you've come to keep Dr. Banner's promise."

"Yes" Steve opened the case and took the green stone. "Thank you for trusting us with this, I know you took a big risk."

As Steve reached his hand out to her, she opened the eye of Agamotto, and the time stone levitated to to it.

"Well, it was the fate of the universe at stake, according to Bruce. Besides, sometimes the biggest events start by taking a leap of faith." She smiled, "You could ask Stephen Strange about that."

"Well ma'am, if you'll excuse me there's another stone that I have to return in this time."

Steve closed the case and was ready to leave when Ancient One stopped him.

"Let me ask you something Captain Rogers." She said. Her arms crossed behind her back and her stare directly into his eyes. Her look was firm, but also gentle, like if she could read was he was thinking and just waiting for him to confirm it.

"After you complete this mission," she continued "What comes next for you?"

He was troubled by her question. It couldn't be a coincidence that she was asking him about just that and just now. He suspected she already knew more than she should, maybe it had to be with the time stone, the same way Strange had predicted what would happen in the one reality in which the Avengers won.

"What do you mean?" he asked

"Well, you've been an active superhero for a very long time, and now that the battle is finally over, I'm just curious about what you're going to do." She faced away from him, looking over the edge of the rooftop.

"Go home." He answered, "As simple as that."

"And where would that be, Captain?"

Now she was playing him. Steve didn't know why or how but obviously Ancient One knew what he intended to do after giving the stones back, so why try to make him say it out loud?

"I'm guessing you already know the answer to your question, the same way you know Dr. Strange's destiny 5 years before he crosses paths with you."

She smiled.

"It is a special privilege of the time stone's keeper to have glimpses of the events that will have a major effect in our reality..." She explained, "And you, Captain Rogers, have been an essential piece in it all."

"Yeah, I guess I have." He walked to be next to Ancient One, "I did my part, now I would really like to rest."

"You want to go back to 1946" She said, not as a question, but as a statement. "Live the life you would've had if you hadn't went down in the ice."

Steve didn't answer. She didn't need any confirmation, she knew she was right.

"I gotta tell you, it is not only my duty to protect the time stone, but also reality itself, including this timeline."

"What would happen if I do it?" He turned around to face her, she did the same.

"It would fragment the timelime, creating an anomaly and generating a new brach of reality in which you prevented all of the things you know from happening."

"Are you saying you won't let me?"

"Oh no," She answered, "Who am I to tell one of the future saviors of the Universe what he should or shouldn't do?"

That made Steve even more confused.

"Besides, you won't really change anything about this reality." She continued, "No...I'm going to let that decision to you"

"Why bring it up then?" He asked, "If you are not going to stop me then why is it relevant?"

"The fact that I'm not going to stop you doesn't mean I won't try to change your mind."

She closed her eyes and moved her hands in cyrcles and complicated shapes, leaving a green mist in the air surrounding them. Suddenly, the ground trembled and Steve saw the sky above him disappear to let a lot of images take it's place. They were time windows, and they showed moments of his life.

"You have been called a man out of time Steve Rogers," Ancient One said "But if there's something I have learned in all this years guarding the stone, is that time brings us exactly were we are supposed to be."

Steve stood there in awe, watching the memories, his memories in front of his eyes. Being carried by his mother as a child, laying sick in bed, taking a beat up from a bully, his numerous applications to the army...Bucky, before Hydra washed his brain, and Peggy, training him in camp Lehigh.

Then, there were the memories from after the ice: becoming part of the Avengers, fighting side by side with them, finding a family. But it was the small moments the most precious to him. He could see himself drinking asgardian alcohol with Thor, discussing about music with Tony, drinking Tea with Wanda, and then there was Nat.

Suddenly all the memories, every time window was showing a memory of her. Missions, training sessions, movie nights, just her smiling.

"All of this is in your memories, this is your life" Ancient One said, while looking at the time windows, "And it looks to me like you felt more at home here than you ever did in your time."

Steve didn't answer. It was hard to admit that she was right, he had felt at home in this time. _Felt. _Home is not the place you're in but the people who is with you. Natasha had been a major part of his life in the 21st century, as the years passed she'd become his family.They were happy memories, but they would never come back. And now it was just too painful to remember them. They had won the war, but it had had a cost. Tony was gone, Nat was gone. There was nothing to go back to. How was he suppossed to return to a place where she was gone?

"I respect you Captain Rogers, and it is my gift to you, as a sign of gratitude for your service, to honour your choice and do not interfere."

"I appreciate that" He finally said, "Thank you very much ma'am."

"Goodbye Captain Rogers, I wish you well."

With that, Ancient One turned around and entered the Sactom Sanctorum, as the time windows vanished. The last thing Steve got to see before jumping from the roof to the street was the vanishing memory of a kiss in a mall escalator.

He smiled and headed to return the mind stone.


	4. Chapter 3

As he was running through the streets, his mind was running a plan. It was simple, get in, get the mind stone back in Loki's scepter, get out, hope for his past version not to remember their fight, avoid being seen. Honestly, the last part would be the hardest, not because he couldn't (after all he got to learn a few moves from the world's best spy), but because he didn't want to.

They were here. Tony and Nat. There were just so many thing he wanted to tell them, to tell _her._ But he knew he couldn't, it was essential that this part of the past remained unaltered to lead them to the victory against Thanos.

He arrived to the Stark Tower, and got in with the camouflage tech. There were S.H.I.E.L.D agents all over the lobby, along with Tony and Thor. He walked past them and up the stairs fastly, to find his past-self.

The past Steve was lying with his face to the floor, just as he'd left him. He rolled him over and dragged him to sit with his back to the wall, the left the case beside him. He certainly will be pretty confussed when he wakes up.

He put the next coordinates in the watch, ready to make the time-jump.

"Well this is unexpected."

Steve turned around to face the last person he'd expected to see.

"Loki"

"It's not usual for the god of Mischief to be tricked, but I give you that." He said. He narrowed his eyes and walked circling him, not getting any closer. "Who are you?" He seemed genuinly curious.

"I am him" Steve pointed to his unconscious self.

"That's impossible" he said, "not even my father Odin has that power."

"It is true, I'm from the future." Steve said, and realising that his mission in 2012 might not be over yet. He had to return the space stone to 1970, but because of their mistake, the past Loki had escaped with the Tesseract in 2012. It had to be corrected. "And I'm going to need you to turn the Tesseract over."

Loki let out a laugh.

"You can't really expect me to believe you, and even less to follow orders from you." He answered, "Now, I'm going to need you to give me back my scepter" from his hands emerged a couple of long knives, "or I'll take it from your dead body."

"So you can bring it back to Thanos?"

Loki's smirk vanished instantly and his whole body tensed.

"How do you know that name?" He asked.

"A few years from now he will wipe out half of life in the universe with the infinity stones, and then he destroyed them." He explained

"So his plan did work after all.." Loki said thoughtful, "The mad titan accomplished his mission."

"We found a way to go back in time to recover them, and we managed to used them to bring everyone back" Steve continued, "and take Thanos down, forever."

Loki was uneasy, seemed like seeing doble Captain America, and him knowing who Thanos was made him believe the story, but he was still trying to decide wether this were good news or bad news.

"You're saying that a pathetic bunch of mortals took down one of the most powerful beings in the galaxy?"

"Yes"

Loki eyebrows reised almost unnoticeably, showing that he was impressed.

"Why are you telling me all this?"

"Because I need you to give the Tesseract back." Steve said. Loki was about to say something but Steve continued, "Out of more than 14 million possible outcomes, this is the only timeline in which Thanos doesn't succeed and half of the universe gets to live. We can't alter the important details. The Tesseract must stay in this time."

Loki's knives vanished from his hands, but he didn't say or did anything for a few seconds. There was something running around in Steve's head and finally he gathered the courage to say it.

"You don't have to stay here." Steve said. With that, Loki seemed more confused that ever, narrowed his eyes and backed away a little. Steve continued, "Escape, leave. Just leave the cube behind."

"I just attacked your planet...and you're going to let me leave willingly?" Loki asked couriusly, "What makes you think that what Thanos wants is not what I want too? What makes you think that I'm interested in being a _hero?"_

"I don't trust you." He said, "Thor does, after everything he always spoke highly of you."

"If I can save you now it might ease his pain in the future."

"You mean that I die?" Loki asked

Steve doubted wether to tell him the truth or not, by knowing he dies at Thano's hand might scare him enough to screw the timeline up by doing something stupid, but he hoped Thor was right about his brother and that in the end, he would do the right thing.

"Yes" Steve confirmed, "Thanos kills you after you hand him the Tesseract in order to save your brother."

Steve waited to see Loki's reaction, the impact of his words. Loki stayed dead silent with a mixed expression of fear and sadness.

"You might have not interest in being a hero, but you are one to Thor."

Those words hit him deeply, Steve could tell. Still, Loki was hesitating.

"He mourned you." he said, "Like anyone would mourn a brother. After he came back, we could tell he was different, the pain broke him." Steve looked away, he truly felt sorry for his friend, for how things had turned out for him.

For a second Steve almost feared that it all had'nt been enough to convince him, until Loki raised his hand, and the Tesseract materialised in the air.

"All this was to make my brother feel the pain and loss I had to endure, to provoque him suffering." Loki said, "Never thought the greatest pain I could give him was my absence."

_I didn't want you to be alone. _He looked away again, he didn't want to show too much emotion in front of Loki, but his words had hurt him unintentionally. It was true. Having someone being taken away from your life can make your whole world crumble. He knew it damn too well, because he was feeling it now.

Loki gave one last look to the cube.

"If I leave this here how will I escape?"

Steve pointed to the briefcase,

"We have two space stones." Steve answered, "This is the plan..."

Steve was in his 2012 suit, with the Tesseract in its case and going downstarirs to meet with Thor and Tony. Loki was following him closely, using his camouflage tech.

It was simple, he would pretend to be the past Steve who recovered the Tesseract after fighting Loki, who had managed to 'escape'. After handing over the cube, he and Loki would leave the Tower as silently as possible and he would use the space stone to open a portal for Loki. Then, he could continue with his mission. Easy.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Loki asked

"Yes" He answered more confidently than he really felt, "The faster we get this over with, hopefully the less we interfere with the timeline."

He arrived to the Lobby, where he saw Thor and Tony immersed in a fierce discussion with agent Pierce over how they'd lost Loki and the cube. Suddenly they noticed Steve.

"Captain" Pierce adressed him, looking at the case "Is that...?"

"The cube" Steve said, "I ran into Loki upstairs, he was trying to get his scepter back. I tried to stop him but he escaped, I could just get a hold on the Tesseract. I'm sorry sir."

"No worries, Captain" He said, "Loki was just defeated here, I don't think he will pose a threat for a while. I guess he will be a problem for another day." Pierce held his hand out to Steve. "Now Captain, the cube please. We will take care of that."

Steve handed it to him, trying to hide his bitter expression. Pierce was Hydra, he would try to kill Fury and other millions of people. But like he had just said, he would be a problem for another day.

"Good job gentlemen." He said finally, adressing the three Avengers, the turned around and left the building followed by the rest of Hydra/S.H.I.E.L.D agents.

"Wow, this is what I call a hard day at work." Tony said, "How about going for that Shawarma we were talking about, boys?"

Steve smiled.

"That sounds wonderful." Thor said, "A traditional feast to celebrate a victorious battle."

"Come on beach boy." The both started walking out of the building, "Hey Cap, you not coming?"

"Yeah, right away. There's just a few things I want to check on with the agents." Steve said.

"Okay, see you right away then." Tony answered.

He was about to continue, when Steve called him before he could even think of what he was doing.

"Tony" He called, causing Iron man to turn around again. "I didn't mean what I said. About you not being a hero."

Tony's expression softened, he could say he had caught him off-guard.

"Iron man is more than an armor. There is no Iron man without Tony Stark."

Tony smiled, embarassed.

Jeez, thanks Rogers but there's no need to be so sensitive." Tony said, then turned around to walk away again. "I knew I would grow on you sooner or later!" He finally yelled, before Steve lost sight of him. He knew he couldn't change Tony's fate, but at least he was glad to make those his last words to him, his goodbye to a friend.

"Heartwarming, but lets leave before someone starts asking questions." Loki said from behind him.

Steve turned around and headed to one of the back doors.

"On it" He said, "You see? Everything went according to pl..."

"Hey Cap." Said someone from behind him. His whole body tensed, his chest tightened, his breath almost left his lungs. "Aren't you coming to eat that Shawarma thing Stark was talking about?"

Nat.

Steve turned around slowly and canalised every energy he had left to keep himself from blowing his cover by breaking down.

She was right there. Covered in blood and dust, in cuts and bruises. Alive.

He would lie if he said he didn't want to run into her, but he was afraid he would crumble.

"Yeah, I just have something to do first."

She looked at him suspiciously, like she always did when someone tried to hide something from her.

"Fine." She said, "By the way, you did very well today for someone who has been MIA for the last 70 years."

He smiled, they weren't even partners yet and she had already started with the teasing.

"Thanks" He said sarcastically, "You weren't that bad yourself." She raised her eyebrows, Nat had not expected for Steve to tease her back. He smiled.

"Well, I'm glad you liked it cause I mihht have heard from Fury he's thinking about partnering us up for missions."

His calm façade was getting hard to keep. Partners, that's how they started. Who could have known it would become so much more than that. He wanted to step forward, hug her and cry on her shoulder, tell her how much he cared for her. How much he was sorry that he wasn't there in the end. So many things he wanted to say, and none of them he could.

"That would be nice, Romanoff." He said finally. She smirked, like only Nat could.

"Why don't you go ahead, I'll catch up in no time." He told her, fearing how much more he could stay strong.

"Okay, Rogers." She answered, turning around to walk away. "See you in a minute."

That. That was like a knive to the heart. Steve turned around and went through the back door quickly, he stepped out to a back alley, where Loki became visible again, carrying the briefcase with tbe infinith stones.

Steve opened the case and carefully took the space stone out.

"Okay, where do you want to go?" Only when Steve looked up he noticed Loki staring at him.

"What?" Steve asked.

"The soldier and the spy, how poetic." Loki said, not in a teaseful way, but really meaningful.

Steve narrowed his eyes.

"I saw how you froze for a second when you heard her voice. I am not the only life Thanos is going to take in your future, right?" Loki asked, "And Thor is not the only one who will experience the pain of loss."

"No" Steve answered, fighting the tears. "There had to be sacrifices. Some people ha to make the hard calls."

"I'm sorry for your loss." He said, "Losing a soulmate must be just as painful as losing a brother."

"She was just a friend." Steve said, Loki raised an eyebrow, incredulously. "But I couldn't save her."

"Well, you saved me." Loki answered, "I was dead in your time."

Steve considered his words mfor a second. No. He couldn't do anything. Clint's words kept sounding loud in his mind. _It can't be undone._

"It's different with her." He said.

"Perhaps, perhaps not. You still have a journey ahead Captain."

Steve looked at the space stone in his hand and opened a portal. "Asgard" He told Loki.

"Farewell, and good luck, Captain."

Steve nodded. "Say hi to queen Frigga on my part."

With a strange look, Loki gave him a slight smile and stepped into the portal.

Steve found himself alone in the alley once more. He put the stone in the case once more and prepared to do the time jump. This journey was being far more interesting than he originally expected, and like Loki said, it wasn't even finished yet.

Two stones left. His next stop: Camp Lehigh 1970.


	5. Chapter 4

Camp Lehigh, where Captain America was born.

It felt weird to come back here, to the place it all started for him. He enlisted in the army to fight in WWII, and it turned out that hadn't been his ultimate purpose. Steve never thought that he would fight for the whole world.. or universe. It was a major step up for a kid from Brooklyn.

He turned invisible and walked calmly to the principal building, then he waited until one of the important agents had to get down to the confidential level. After a few minutes, finally someone came. An agent with an S.S.R badge. The man was in good shape, but he used a crutch, and avoided relying on one of his legs. Steve recognised the mark of the war, and he inmediately felt respect for the agent. He fought for his country, got a life-long injury because of it and still, here he was, an S.S.R agent, still fighting for justice. People like this man were the reason he hadn't lost hope in humanity, even after all he'd seen.

He followed the agent into the elevator, keeping his distance, and tried to be as silent as possible as they were descending. When the doors opened, Steve was glad to see the man heading the opposite direction from where he had to go put the stone back, so after he was lost of sight, Steve was left alone.

He deactivated the invisibility mode and proceeded to take the space stone back. They'd had to destroy the Tesseract in orden to use the stone for the Gauntlet, so Bruce had to build a substitute. It didn't look exactly like the original one but it was all they could come up with, hopefully no one would notice.

Just when he had closed the lockbox, he heard steps approaching, so he turned on his camouflage. His heart sank to his feet when he saw who was walking to him.

Peggy Carter herself. Older than he remembered, but she had aged with beauty and elegance. She walked straight, radiating strenght and pride with every step.

She raised her eyes from the file she had in her hand. If Steve hadn't been with the invisibility mode on, he could have sworn Peggy looked right to him.

"Hello darling" She smiled. But it was not at him, but at the agent he saw earlier, coming back from from behind Steve.

"I've been looking for you everywhere, Daniel." She said, "I need you to sign the mission report."

The man, Daniel, smiled at her, taking the file. "There you go, one more case closed." She took the file again and kissed his cheek before turning around to exit.

"Oh, one thing" She said, stopping in her path. "Don't forget we're dining with the Jarvis on Saturday, so cancel your meetings."

"We're taking the kids with us?" He asked "Remember Macy is going to a party."

She put her fists to her waist. "Daniel Sousa I thought we agreed on not letting her go."

"She promised to wash the dishes for a week."

Peggy looked at him pissed for a few seconds, and then she cracked a smile in surrender. "You're spoiling them."

"Well, its my job. I'm their father."

They both smiled, unaware that Steve was there to witness their family discussions. Because that's what they were: Family. This was Peggy's husband, the father of her children, her partner. Steve's thoughts an emotios were all mixed, a part of him couldn't help but feel jealous for what might have been his life. Maybe, if things had worked out differently, he would have been in Daniel Sousa's place right now. But another part of him, from the very depht of his heart, felt joyful to see that his beloved Peggy had been happy. He was grateful that she wasn't alone during the hard times, that he married a good man, that she moved on.

He had always thought Peggy was fierce and strong, quite intimidating sometimes, that's how he had known her. But right now, he was seeing a completely different side of her: how sweet and romantic she could be to her husband. Daniel had accomplished that. It could be amazing how the right person can make you open.

His thoughts wondered back to Nat. How different she was from how he'd known her. Somewhere along their journey, he ha earned her trust, he had earned the privilege of getting to know her for real. She was more than a name, more than just the Black Widow. She was caring, and loyal, and sensible. One day, when she finally allowed herseld to cry in front of Steve, he knew how much he had come to mean to her. Just as much she meant to him.

Steve had taken this mission for multiple reasons, but his ultimate goal was to go back to 1946, to Peggy. But after seeing her now, happy, with a husband and kids apparently...woulnd't it be selfish to do so? He saddened.

She had moved on, so what right did he have to mess it up for her?

Then he remembered, _'It would fragment the timeline, creating an anomaly, generating a new branch of reality...' _Ancient One had explained. If he did go back, this reality woud suffer no alteration, while in the new one he could be with Peggy. Steve knew he was just trying to convince himself that it was the right call, but he could avoid the internal moral debate for now. There was one more stone left.

So he set the time in his device and became quantic, heading to Vormir 2014.


	6. Author's note

Hi! The continuation of this story will be another fic called "To start over", and the first chapter is already uploaded!

Thank you for reading my story, hope you enjoyed it!


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